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Carl_LaFong
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31 Dec 2009, 9:39 pm

Wanted to get some feedback on this assumption I have that a smaller school would be better for Aspies.

I went to a typical big high school with about 2000 kids. My brother ended up going to a small private school with about 30 kids since he screwed up in jr high/ middle school. I think our parents got the private school recommendation from a counselor.

I had about 5 friends and it seemed like my brother had 30 friends. That's over-simplified but you get the idea. I couldn't help being envious of his little school where he knew everybody. I was just as unhappy as my brother but I guess I was too much of a conformist to skip class and blow off homework etc. (A funny memory- I'm riding to school on the bus and see my brother walking to school through the woods- he used to sleep in the woods for a couple hours then head back home. Smart guy!)

So is it always the case that a smaller school is better? What are the downsides to a small school?

Thanks,
Carl



Elementary_Physics
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01 Jan 2010, 12:51 am

I know I would want to be in a small school. More individual time with teachers for help - Because I know that I need help on Math and Science but my teachers are always busy with other students. You would get more attention.

I go to a larger school, but I like my High School, because its notorious for having a lot of students on drugs (Weed), so everyone is very relaxed and nice. They don't care for bulling or picking on people, because everyone is always high, and we all just kinda hang out.
Our classes our very integrated - You'll have a mix of Freshmen and Seniors in any given class.



Tahitiii
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01 Jan 2010, 1:47 am

I’m not sure about high school.
In a small middle school, the main complaint is about a lack of extra-curricular activities,
like sports and band. A lot of Aspies wouldn’t care about that.

For high school, I would think that the type of school is more important than size.
A county vocational school, especially if they focus on computers, would be a
magnet for geeks, so the culture would probably be more Aspie-friendly.
Also, if it's a school of choice, you'll get a different kind of student with a different attitude.



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01 Jan 2010, 9:49 am

I go to a big school, it's a secondary school and a college, and I don't mind the size at all. You get used to the school no matter what the size is anyway.



Tahitiii
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01 Jan 2010, 10:07 am

Asp-Z wrote:
I go to a big school, it's a secondary school and a college, and I don't mind the size at all.
What kind of school is it? Did you have a choice? Did you need to go out of your way and apply? Why did you choose it? That's probably the most important difference.



Asp-Z
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01 Jan 2010, 11:08 am

Tahitiii wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
I go to a big school, it's a secondary school and a college, and I don't mind the size at all.
What kind of school is it? Did you have a choice? Did you need to go out of your way and apply? Why did you choose it? That's probably the most important difference.


What do you mean what kind? It's a secendary school, just a normal one, not a special school or autism school or private school or anything.

I had a choice between this school and Spa School, which is a special school for autistic kids (I think). In the end it was decided the school I go to now was better for me because I'm not really that severe.

We did need to apply, and my mum had to fight to get me in, but all was well in the end :)

Yes I chose it, I went there and looked at it and decided it's where I wanted to go.



Tahitiii
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01 Jan 2010, 11:59 am

Asp-Z wrote:
What do you mean what kind?
If yours is a school of choice, it is not "just a normal one."

I wasn't thinking of "special needs." I was thinking of the general idea of a "school of choice."
Like a magnet school that focuses on a particular major or performing arts or computers.

Private schools and charter schools tend to be better, partly because they offer something different, but mostly because they attract people (students, staff, parents) with certain talents and attitudes. Along the way, a school like that develops a unique culture that is impossible to measure or compare by objective standards (apples & oranges).

Be happy that you don't know what you're missing. Most "normal" public schools are hell.